Quick Takes

House fire in Norwich, Connecticut: This fire on Prospect Street was reported around 7:00 PM on Saturday. No injuries, but 23 people have been displaced. The home housed a substance-abuse recovery program for women. Read the details.

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Firefighter rap sheets making the news in two cities: We summarize the coverage from two cities as TV reporters look closely at how the fire departments in Memphis and Pittsburgh are handling firefighters who get arrested. Alcohol and drugs are behind many of the arrests, both directly and indirectly.

It’s not just the firefighters Part 1 – Read statements from firefighters about chief who showed up to fatal fire after a few drinks: Tarpon Springs, Florida Chief Stephen Moreno has been suspended after allegations he arrived at a fire after a few drinks, gave orders without checking in with the IC, and had no radio or gear. On top of that, his wife was walking around the fire scene. Read the paperwork, watch and read the story.

It’s not just the firefighters Part 2 – Kentucky chief under investigation resigns: Firegeezer has the story on Chief Paul Barth who has resigned from the McMahan Fire District in Jefferson County. Barth has been suspended since November 24 over money issues that now involve the U.S. Secret Service.

A Steve Skipton photo of Sunday morning's 5-alarm vacant warehouse fire in Gloucester City, New Jersey. Click the image for more pictures from Steve and Ted Aurig at PhillyFireNews.com.

Overtime issue in DC: Another in the regular oversight hearings on overtime expenditures by the DC Fire & EMS Department. There were no fireworks between Chairman Phil Mendelson and Chief Dennis Rubin this time. One reason is that the chief didn’t make the hearing (which did not make the councilmember happy). Read Michael Neibauer’s article in The Examiner last week. Watch the hearing.

Town divided over possible return of firefighters involved in costly gay bashing lawsuit: The possibility of three firefighters returning to the Secaucus Volunteer Fire Department after the town lost an almost $5 million lawsuit by a gay couple who lived next door to Engine Co. 2/ Rescue Co. 1 has brought mixed reaction. The trio resigned after the couple won the suit and are now looking to be reinstated. Read the details.

They blew the #@!* out of the package: That was the case on November 6 in Longview, Washington. A bomb squad disrupted a suspicious package outside City Hall only to find it was full of feces. Now, officials say a retired firefighter left it and tried to blame it on another firefighter. Here are the details.

Firefighters save only ashes and a woman thinks they are heroes: In Albury, Australia a burning restaurant was pretty much a total loss. But it wasn’t quite at that point when the decision was made to send two firefighters in to make a recovery while the fire burned above. All the firefighters returned with were ashes and to a restaurant worker that was just perfect. Click here for the answer to this riddle.

Everyone wants to be a fire dispatcher: In Lockport, New York, both the police department and the Niagara County sheriff are eager to take over dispatching duties for the fire department. It is part of an effort to free up a firefighter each shift. Click here for the story.

Station 54 where are you?: Actually it should be where is the crew? A shake-up at the Houston fire station at the center of the scandal that helped push Phil Boriskie out of the chief’s office and back into a fire station. Read more.

Firefighter recovering from dog bites following river rescue: LAFD mounted a significant effort from the air and ground to save a dog floating down the Los Angeles River. It took a firefighter dropping from a chopper to save the dog. In the process, Joe St. Georges received some significant punctures on his arm and hand. Read our coverage here and click here for interviews with the firefighter.

Take the bus, but don’t leave the driving to him: There was a major rescue effort in the Nova Scotia River Saturday night after an Acadian Lines bus fell off a bridge in whiteout conditions. The most experienced person involved in this type of rescue operation was likely the bus driver. Driver Ken Mitchell was at the wheel of another Acadian Lines bus that skidded off a bridge into the Baddeck River last February. Read and watch the story.